I'd be keeping him. Having a left footed option in midfield is a positive as is his height. He has struggled a bit since Ericken gave him the runaround against Spurs last year and teams after that have worked out how to pull him out of position in a similar style.

That said part of that comes down to structure which has meant he (and Mikel more recently) are too often left to cover too much ground between a high press and deep defensive line with Fabregas doing little to assist. Once that is fixed hopefully by the purchase of Nainggolan and a proper structure from Conte I think he can get back to his best again.

 

good theory but think you left out 1 decisive point, his desire to attack.. I think he doesn't see himself as that much of a DM.. I think this season his desire and his role have gotten its toll, they confuse the hell out of him thus preventing froom functioning properly.. 

Our weakness is actualy in defence, that is obvious even since last season because they couldn't stand on their own, they need protection and when that protection fails, expose is the word as you can see what happens this season.. 

Talk online is that United have approached us for him...I personally would do everything we can to hold on to him and give him another year to recapture his beastly form in 2014

Gianluca Di Marzio ?@DiMarzio

.@ManUtd is going on for #Bailly defender of @VillarrealCF and approaches @ChelseaFC for #Matic #MUFC

40mil and they can have him. MO

Kante

Naingollan/Fabregas -- Matic

Exlude Fab from that lineup and we would have one of the worst central midfields in the league for offensive output.

I think there is still a really good player in there somewhere. we probably only saw it 3 or 4 times at most last season but I think unless we are offered silly money we should give him another year.

People really have short memories, don't they? Player of the year a couple of seasons ago and now people want him gone. Compare him to say, Oscar, who hasn't performed since that game against Juve pretty much. He is expendable.

I want Matic to stay, I want to see what Conte does with him.

Short memories? Hes been rubbish for a season and a half. Not like its been 10-15 games. Yes he was great from Christmas to Christmas when we signed him, after that hes been very poor. Not sure why you bring up the fact that Oscar has been poor for longer as nobody is denying that.

Surprising.

Based on last seasons performances I can't say I'd be too sad to see him go especially if we did get Kante.

Unlikely though.

I think he can be replaced, however i wouldn't sell him to another premier league team. We've done that with Cech, Mata, Lukaku, Lampard (sort of) and most have come back to bite us. If we are to get rid make sure he goes to Juventus or PSG or somewhere similar.

Why Juventus and PSG jump to mind IDK.

40mil and they can have him. MO

If I can get Kante for 20m, why the f**k will I pay more than that for a 27 year old Matic?

We can't get more than 20m for him!

I think he can be replaced, however i wouldn't sell him to another premier league team. We've done that with Cech, Mata, Lukaku, Lampard (sort of) and most have come back to bite us. If we are to get rid make sure he goes to Juventus or PSG or somewhere similar.

Basically none of them have come back to bite us. 

Lampard maybe, but we still won the league so it mattered not

Edited June 7, 201610 yr by Van Butsen

If I can get Kante for 20m, why the f**k will I pay more than that for a 27 year old Matic?

We can't get more than 20m for him!

Because he has a few years left on his contract and plays in the same league. Prices are always going to be inflated.

Basically none of them have come back to bite us. 

Lampard maybe, but we still won the league so it mattered not

 

Cech has saved Arsenal so many times and improved them ten fold. Lukaku one of the best strikers in the league and knocked us out the cup. Lampard scored against us in the short time he was at City but we released him so can't really complain. Mata is Utd's third highest scorer so has arguably improved them also. If improving direct opposition isn't coming back to bite us i don't know what is.

Why Juventus and PSG jump to mind IDK.

 

money, different league, all seem to buying CM's etc.. 

We need to buy CMs not sell them. A Massive NO. Not even if they give us 50mil

Cech has saved Arsenal so many times and improved them ten fold. Lukaku one of the best strikers in the league and knocked us out the cup. Lampard scored against us in the short time he was at City but we released him so can't really complain. Mata is Utd's third highest scorer so has arguably improved them also. If improving direct opposition isn't coming back to bite us i don't know what is.

I think we sold all those players so we could have another shot at the title, which we won.

We may be improving our opposition, but the point is they were weakening us.

Everton have won nothing with Lukaku - Chelsea have won the title and a league cup since selling him

Arsenal have won nothing with Cech - Chelsea have also won nothing (You may want to count the community shield, I'm not) 

Man United have won an FA cup with Mata - Chelsea have won the title and a league cup since selling him

City won nothing with Lampard - Chelsea have won the title and a league cup since selling him

Could be wrong on those ^ but fairly sure it's accurate, so they haven't really made us pay at all.  

 

I think we sold all those players so we could have another shot at the title, which we won.

We may be improving our opposition, but the point is they were weakening us.

Everton have won nothing with Lukaku - Chelsea have won the title and a league cup since selling him

Arsenal have won nothing with Cech - Chelsea have also won nothing (You may want to count the community shield, I'm not) 

Man United have won an FA cup with Mata - Chelsea have won the title and a league cup since selling him

City won nothing with Lampard - Chelsea have won the title and a league cup since selling him

Could be wrong on those ^ but fairly sure it's accurate, so they haven't really made us pay at all.  

Another way of looking at it would be,

United finishing 5th and near to their 4th position the season before this one.

City have regressed in their League position but they have advanced to the CL semis.

Arsenal finished 2nd last season and definitely improved on their league standing.

 

Chelsea on the other hand got a 10th place position, got knocked out of CL round of 16 without even putting up a fight against a team that city knocked out. Got single-handedly knocked out of FA cup by Lukaku who has yet again shown that he is a special player. Also, Chelsea dont have any european competition to play in compared to 3 out of those 4 teams and I am pretty sure, we would find Lukaku in a team with atleast EL football, very soon.

And we did win the league the season before last, but was it worth the massive set-back to the club overall? Not for me.

Edited June 7, 201610 yr by didierforever

Another way of looking at it would be,

United finishing 5th and near to their 4th position the season before this one.

City have regressed in their League position but they have advanced to the CL semis.

Arsenal finished 2nd last season and definitely improved on their league standing.

 

Chelsea on the other hand got a 10th place position, got knocked out of CL round of 16 without even putting up a fight against a team that city knocked out. Got single-handedly knocked out of FA cup by Lukaku who has yet again shown that he is a special player. Also, Chelsea dont have any european competition to play in compared to 3 out of those 4 teams and I am pretty sure, we would find Lukaku in a team with atleast EL football, very soon.

And we did win the league the season before last, but was it worth the massive set-back to the club overall? Not for me.

You wouldn't take a league title?  You'd prefer a consistent run of being around the top?

I don't think last season was a set back.  It was a bad season sure, we under performed definitely, but I don't think we are set back.  We haven't lost any senior players this year, something everyone cries about, we got games into young players (people will scream not enough) but it was still more and we've kept (so far) our prized talents.  And in a year where none of our major rivals made us pay.

We don't have European football next season but what of it?  If we've lost all those players and you think it was a mistake then would we even contend for the European trophies if we were in them next season?

I think we are in a great place and even better for already having said goodbye to the players mentioned.

 

No way would I sell Matic to United. For the right price I would sell him abroad but not in England. I hope the club don't give him into United. We shouldn't be making their lives easier.

You wouldn't take a league title?  You'd prefer a consistent run of being around the top?

I don't think last season was a set back.  It was a bad season sure, we under performed definitely, but I don't think we are set back.  We haven't lost any senior players this year, something everyone cries about, we got games into young players (people will scream not enough) but it was still more and we've kept (so far) our prized talents.  And in a year where none of our major rivals made us pay.

We don't have European football next season but what of it?  If we've lost all those players and you think it was a mistake then would we even contend for the European trophies if we were in them next season?

I think we are in a great place and even better for already having said goodbye to the players mentioned.

I would not take a league title over KDB, Lukaku, bertrand. Thats what I am saying. Because, you know what, we ALMOST won a league title with them in the team just by introducing Costa, a striker which was much needed. 

Kdb was a special talent who had to be kept no matter what. Same goes for Lukaku. Bertrand was a club trained player (who we are constantly short of), and should have been given his due when Ashley was under-performing in 2013 start. 

 

Well, if you think this season is not a set-back then I honestly cant help you. We have gone from being linked to the world's best players to the likes of manolas, perisic. We cant even dream of buying the likes of Pogba, marquinhos because well, we dont have CL/EL and we dont have the money. Why? Thats what a season without CL brings you. No money and No lure for the players.

 

How are we in a better place? You think we would have been worse off if we had mata instead of Oscar (LOL), or Lukaku instead of remy, or Cech instead of Begovic. Well, Kudos to you if you think so.

Exlude Fab from that lineup and we would have one of the worst central midfields in the league for offensive output.

Cesc can do the creative work of 2 players along and with the likes of hazard, we are quite good in the creative aspect, what we need with cesc in the team, is defensive cover. and thats exactly what the line up would give you.

The guy seemed so spent after that goal vs sunderland. I hope the club do not stand in his way if he wants to go to united.

 

I would sell him to whoever pays the most regardless of the league.

money, different league, all seem to buying CM's etc..

A lot of clubs meet those criteria, those two are a little above his level no? I dont think he gets into either side. Which sucks for us because we compete with them

Edited June 7, 201610 yr by TheChelseaBlues